Apparatus for producing highly-heated gas



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sl1eet 1.

R. F. NENNINGER. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING HIGHLY HEATED GAS.

No. 432,281. Pat ted July 15, l890.

Q ATTORNEY.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

R. F. NENNINGER.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUOING HIGHLY HEATED GAS. No. 432,281. Patented July15, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT F. NENNINGER, OF NEWVARK, NElV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO TI'IE NEWVJERSEY FURNACE AND SIWIELTING COMPANY, OF NEIV JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR PRODUClNG'HIGHLY-HEATED GAS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 432,281, dated July 15,1890.

Application filed December 10, 1889- Serial No. 333,227. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: in generating a body 'of intensely-hot non-Be itknown that I, ROBERT F. NENNINGER, combustible gas and bringing thesame into of Newark, Essex county, New Jersey, have contact With theobject to be heated, and this 5 invented a new and useful Improvement inmethod, therefore, I do not herein claim. I

5 Apparatus for Producing Highly-l-leated Gas do not, however, limit theadaptation of my for Heating Purposes, &c., of which the folinvention toa steam-boiler, as here shown,

lowing is a specification. inasmuch as it will be obvious that the hotItis well known that in an ordinary boilergas generated may be utilizedin any other grate complete combustion of the carbon, or, desired way.

o in other words, its entire conversion in com- In the accompanyingdrawings, Figure 1 is bination with'the oxygen of the air into cara sideelevation and partial vertical longitudibonic acid, is impracticable,and that instead nal section on'the line 1 1 of Fig. 2 of my a largeproportion of carbonic oxide is proapparatus, combined with a tubularsteamduced, which is only partially converted into boiler. Fig. 2 is afront end elevation. Fig.

15 carbonic acid in the flame-chamber. In order 3 is a horizontalsection of the gas-producer to meet this difficulty, various deviceshave on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a similar been been contrivedfor directing a current section on the line at t of Fig. 4. Fig. 5 is aof air into said chamber-such, for example, detached sectional viewshowing the wateras hollow grate-bars, or even pipes leading supply pipeand the communicating conduit 20 from blowers directly into saidflame-space. between the two boxes.

The principal difliculty in such cases is that Similar letters ofreference indicate like the incoming air-currents are comparativelyparts. cool and that the resulting temperature of the A is asteam-boiler, supported in the usual mixed gases is not sufficientlyhigh to result way on walls or piers and provided with a 25 in thedesired combination and consequent covering or casingB. AtGare thegrate-bars; production of carbonic acid, so that the net D, thebridge-wall; E, the flame-space; E, result is simply a cooling of theproducts of the fire-box; F, fire-tubes, extending through combustion.the boiler, and G a chamber communicating By my device completecombustion of the with the uptake H. The general construc- 30 fuel, andconsequent utilization of all its comtion and arrangement of the boiler,its casbustible portion, is produced in a separate ing, andcombustion-chamber are the same as apparatus from which a current ofintenselyis present in any ordinary boiler of similar heated carbonicacid is delivered. In the aptype. In order, however, to adapt thepresplication of my invention to a steam-boiler ent boiler to thepurposes of my invention, I

5 (here shown) the current enters at once into cover the grate-bars witha layer I of fire the fire-box, and then sweeps under and brick ortiles. through the boiler. I11 this current there are Disposed in frontof the boiler is a chammingled no uncombined gases and equally ber J,the vertical walls of which are double no uncombined carbon.Consequently the and are composed of four plate-iron boxes K 40 productsof combustion are smokeless, and L M N, Fig. 3. These boxes constitutewathe immense mass of carbon which ordinarily ter-jackets, and aresupplied with water by passes into the chimney in the form of smoke themeans hereinafter described. The plates is here completely utilized. Asa matter of forming the vertical sides of each box are 5 fact, I havefound by actual experiment that brought together at the top and riveted,as

45 hot gas coming from the gas-producing apshown at 0, Fig. 1. The boxesK L M N restparatus is absolutely white-hot and brilliant, upon ahorizontal box P, which is in turn and that no smoke whatever comes outfrom supported upon trucks Q. Near the upper the chimney of the boiler.portion of the boxes K M are notched projec- In another application forLetters Patent tions B, Fig. 2, and on the boxes L N are 50simultaneously filed herewith, Serial No. downwardly-turned brackets S.Lock-bars 333,226, I have fully described and claimed T extend under thebrackets S and through the method of heating, whichconsists, broadly,the notches in the projections R, and in this way the boxes K L M N aresecured together. On each side of the bottom I are notched projectionsU, and also on the boxes L N and near their lower portion aredownwardlyturned brackets V. Lock-bars \V pass under the brackets V andthrough the notches in the projections U, and in this way the lower boxP is fastened to the upper boxes K L M N. Resting upon flanges ain theupper portion of the chamber J is a hopper I), provided with a bell c,which bell is supported by chains in any suitable manner, so that it maybe raised and lowered, as desired. Through the body of the box M andnear the bottom is a rectangular opening, in which is placed a metalframe or door (I, lined wit-h fire-brick c. This frame is held in placeby a bar f, received in upwardly-turned brackets g on the exterior ofthe box M. On the exteriorof the frame (I is a spout h, communicatingwith a tap-hole 1', which leads from a hearth k, which is made oflimestone and fire-clay, or cement and fire-clay, rammed into the bottomof the chamber J. Entering the lower box P is a water-supply pipe Z, andfrom the box P extend curved pipes m, which respectively communicatewith each box K L M N, so that the water entering the box P rises upthrough the boxes K L M N, and finally escapes into the overflow-pipe u,and thence is led by a pipe 0, Fig. 3, to any desired point, andpreferably to the boiler feed-supply. Through the box K is made anopening I), which communicates with the fire-box E of the boiler.

q is an air-supply pipe leading from a blower or anyother suitablesource of air-supply and provided with branches 0, Fig. 2, at theextremities of which are pipes s s s 3 These pipes communicate withvalve-chambers t, in which are arranged valves it u. Extending from saidvalve-chambers are tuyeres 'v 0, which pass through the sides of the boxM and open into the chamber J. In front of the chamber J, and in thefloor, may be made a trough w to receive slag which is drawn out of thechamber J through the spout 72 The operation of the apparatus is asfollows: A fire is first started on the hearth of the chamber J, usingordinary coal or coke. The supplyof coke is then delivered into thehopper Z), and the bell 0 being raised the chamber J is completelyfilled with coke; or, instead of first starting a fire in the bottom ofthe chamber, said chamber may be filled with coke at the outset almostto the level of the tuyere 'v, and the fire then started at the upperportion of the charge. In either case, as soon as the chamber J isfilled the mouth of the hopper is closed and the valves a are opened, soas to admit the air-current through the upper tuyeres o. This blast iskept up until the charge in the chamber is rendered incandescent, whenthe valves in in the lower tuyeres v are opened and blast admitted fromall the tuyeres simultaneously. \Vhile I may employ only coal or coke asthe charge, it is preferable to mix therewith a certain quantity ofsilicate of iron, cinder, or slag, which under the action of the heat inthe chamber combines with the ashes to form a thin slag, which descendsupon the hearth 7c, and which may be drawn oif through the tap-hole andspout 7t. Vhen coal or coke alone is used the ashes will run out in amolten state through the tap-hole; but the slag so formed will be toughand liable to choke up the hearth and tap, and thus necessitate theremoval of the door for purposes of cleaning the hearth. This is donethrough the aperture in which said door is received. It is thereforepreferable to mix iron cinder with the coal in the manner abovedescribed. The slag as drawn through the spout 7L falls into the troughw,which'eontains water, and is there granulated and cooled.

It will be apparent that by the use of the two sets of tuyeres hereindescribed, one set of tuyeres being arrangedin the chamber J at a higherlevel than the other set, the combustion of the fuel is caused to takeplace first at the upper tuyeres, and that the carbonic acid resultingproceeding downward through the incandescent fuel is converted intocarbonic oxide, and then is reconverted into carbonic acid at the lowertuyeres and becomes intensely heated, and in this condition passes outthrough the opening 1) and into the fire-box E, and thence under theboiler and through the fire-tubes F to the chamber G, and finally out atthe uptake.

I desire to call especial attention to the fact that the chamber J, withassociated parts, is not a gas-producer in the sense that it generates acombustible gas, which is subsequently burned underneath the boiler, andin this respect my invention differs widely and materially fromapparatus in which gas is substituted for solid fuel. The fuel isconsumed completely in the chamber J under conditions which will makethe resulting product a non-combustible gas heated to an intensely-hightemperature, and not a gas which is consumable, which is produced bydistillation, and which is subsequently ignited and then completelyconsumed at the point at which its heat is to be utilized. It is also tobe understood that while my device is especially constructed to produceintenselyhot carbonic acid it may also be used to produce a current ofcarbonic oxide, which may be converted into carbonic-acid gas elsewhere;or, if suitable material be placed in the chamber, other ignitible gasmay be made. In such use of my apparatus it is simply necessary to shutthe valves u, connecting with the lower tuyeres b, when there will beincomplete combustion of the fuel. in the lower part of the chamber, andhence a distillation of the fuel there located. I prefer to use myapparatus,-however, in the manner first above detailedthat is to say, toproduce a current of highly-heated carbonic acid from anthracite coal orcoke. It will, however, be apparent that not only do I produce an in-.

large amounts of ashes, the proportion of slag collected being very muchless in bulk than the otherwise uncombined ashes. This reduction in thequantity of refuse produced becomes of great importance in theapplication of my invention to marine boilers, inasmuch as it saves theconstant handling of large amounts of ashes. The granulated slagproduced is also a utilizable product, and, as is well known, may beapplied to advantage for the manufacture of artificial stone, concretes,cements, &c. The object of placing the chamber J on the rollers Q is toallow of its removal, if desired, from the front of the boiler, the pipeq and the 'water outlet and inlet pipes being previously disconnectedfor that purpose.

I have already stated that the outlet-pipe n may communicate with aboiler, so that the water flowing out of the boxes K LM N P may be ledinto the feed, so that the gas-generating apparatus may also serve as afeedwater heater. Tothis end I connect to the pipe 'n adownwardly-extending pipe 0, which communicates with a pipe b,leadinginto the boiler, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and also with a pipec,'leading to any other desired point. In the pipe I) is arranged avalve (1, and in the pipe 0 is a valve 6. Vhile the apparatus isinoperation, the valve 6 is closed and water is forced under pressurethrough the boxes K L M N P, becoming heated in its passage, and thencethrough the pipes 01 0 b into the boiler, the valve (1' being open.\Vhen it is desired to direct the water from the boxes elsewhere thaninto the boiler, the valved isclosed and the valve e open, in which casethe water will pass from the boxes and escape by the pipe 0'.

I do not claim, broadly, a combustion chamber or stack having openingsin its walls disposed opposite one another, so that the air-.

blast traverses the fuel in a horizontal direction. It is essential tomy apparatus that the air shall enter two openings in thecombustion-chamber, and then proceed downwardly through the charge inorder to produce a highly-heated gas, and that the gas-escape openingshall be located at such a distance below these air-openings as thatthegas shall be produced and heated within the combustion-chambe'l' beforeit makes its exit through said escape-orifice.

I claim 1. A combustion-chamber having at its bottom a hearth and at itstop a fuel-supply opening, and in its wall openings disposed in thefollowing order, namely: two air-inlet openings at differentelevationsand a gasescape opening below said inlet-openings and above said hearth,in combination with means for producing a draft from said air-openingsdownwardly through the charge in said chamber and out at said gas-escapeorifice.

2. The combination of the chamber J, havin g a fuel-supply opening inits upper portion and a gas-escape opening at the lowerportion, andtuyeres o o, communicating with a source of air-supply and enteringthrough the wall of said chamber.

3. In combination with a steam-boiler, the chamber J, having afuel-supply openingin its upper portion and a gas-escape openingcommunicating with the fire-box of said boiler, and tuyeres o 1;,located between said openings and entering through the wall of saidchamber at diiferent elevations and communicating with a source ofair-blast.

4. The-combination of the boxes K, L, M, N, and P, united to produce theside walls and bottom of the chamber J, tuyeres o r, entering saidchamber through the box M at different elevations and communicating witha source of air-blast, and a gas-escape-fiue opening through the box Kinto said chamber J. v

5. The combination of the boxes K, L, M, N, and P, united to produce theside walls and bottom of'the chamber J, awater-supply pipe entering oneof said boxes and communicating conduits for said water-supply betweensaid boxes, tuyeres o o, entering said chamber through the box M atdifferent elevations and communicating with a source of air-blast, and agas escapeflue opening through box K into said chamber J.

' 6. The combination of the boxes K, L, M,

N, and P, united to produce the side walls and bottom of the chamber J,hearth 7c in the lower portion of said chamber, one of the walls of saidchamber having a tap-opening above said hearth, tuyeres '0 o,enteringsaid chamber through box M at different elevations and communicatingwith a source of air-blast, and a gas-escape-flue opening through box Kinto said chamber J.

7. The combination of the boxes K, L, M, N, and P, united to produce theside walls and bottom of the chamber J, a water-supply pipe 0, enteringbox P, and communicating conduits, as m, from said box P to boxes K L MN, outlet-pipe 0, also communicating with said last-named boxes, tuyereso o, entering said chamber through the box M at different elevations andcommunicating with a source of air-blast, and a gas-escape-fiue openingthrough box K into said chamber J.

8. The combination of the boxes K, L, M, N, and P, the box M having anopening, the frame or door cl, removably supported in said opening,tuyeres 'u o, entering said chamber through the box M at differentelevations and fuel-supply opening at its upper portion, a hearth, agas-escape opening located above said hearth, two tuycres entering saidchamber through said walls at diiterent elevations between said fuel andgas-escape openings, a water-supply conduit communicating with the spacebetween said walls, an outflow-conduit communicating with thewater-space in said boiler, and means for prodneinga downward draft fromsaid tuycres and through said escape-orifice and into the fire-box ofsaid boiler.

10. The combination of a steam-boiler, the boxes K, L, M, N, and lunited to produce the side walls and bottom of the chamber .l', awater-supply conduit entering one of said boxes, communicating conduitsfor said water-supplybetween said boxes, an outflow-cond nit extendingbetween one of said boxes and the water-space in said boiler, andtuycrcs entering said chamber at different elevations and communicatingwith a source of air-b1ast. 11. The combination of a steam-boiler, theboxes K, L, M, N, and I, united to produce the side walls and bottom ofthe chamber J, a water-supply conduit entering one of said boxes,communicating conduits for said water-supply between said boxes,outflow-c011 duit 0, having two branches 1) c, the branch 1) leading tothe water-space in said boiler, valves (1 0', respectively, in saidbranches I) e, and tuyeres entering said chamber at different elevationsand communicating with a source of air-blast.

ROBERT F. NENNINGER.

Witnesses:

1 Am: BENJAMIN, M. Boson.

